David Mindich
Encyclopedia
David Mindich is a press critic, media historian, and professor at Saint Michael's College
in Colchester, Vermont
where he served as the chair of the journalism and mass communication department from 2000 to 2006. He was named Vermont Professor of the year in 2006 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
He currently teaches Editing and Design for online media, and is the faculty adviser for St. Michael's online student publication, the Echo.
In the mid-1980s, he worked as an assignment editor for CNN
. In 1996, Mindich earned a doctorate in American Studies
from New York University
where he worked under Mitchell Stephens
, Carl Prince, and Jay Rosen
.
The author of two widely reviewed books, Just the Facts and Tuned Out, Mindich has also written articles that have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, the Wilson Quarterly
, the Baltimore Sun and academic journals. Mindich is particularly interested in the history, construction and present health of journalism. In 2006 Mindich wrote a resolution for the AEJMC)
that censured the Bush administration for its "anti-press" policies. The resolution passed at the association's national convention in San Francisco with little opposition.
In Just the Facts, Mindich argued that journalist objectivity evolved in stages over a broad period, from the 1830s to the 1890s. Looking at five separate "elements" of objectivity—detachment, nonpartisanship, inverted pyramid writing, facticity, and balance—Mindich pinpointed specific historical moments when newswriting advanced toward its present form. One notable chapter is chapter three, which revealed that it was the government, and not journalists, who were using the inverted pyramid during the American Civil War. Another is chapter five, which is about the practice of lynching. Here Mindich argues that despite its claim of balance, the New York Times couldn't get the lynching story right because of the cultural (and racist) baggage its reporters and sources were bringing to the table.
In Tuned Out, Mindich argues that America is facing a grave threat to its democracy because the public has increasingly "tuned out" from politics and civic discouse. Mindich suggests a number of solutions to rectify the problem, including changing expectations for college-bound high school seniors.
Since the publication of Tuned Out, Mindich has given lectures at universities, high schools, media organizations and civics groups about media and democracy.
Mindich founded Jhistory, an Internet group for journalism historians, in 1994. He is currently an editor of the list.
Mindich lives in Burlington, Vt.
Saint Michael's College
Saint Michael's College is a private, residential liberal arts Catholic college. The campus is located in Colchester, Vermont. It was founded in 1904 by the Society of Saint Edmund, a French order of Catholic priests.-History:...
in Colchester, Vermont
Colchester, Vermont
Colchester is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 17,067 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth-largest municipality and second-largest town in Vermont by population.-Geography:...
where he served as the chair of the journalism and mass communication department from 2000 to 2006. He was named Vermont Professor of the year in 2006 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
He currently teaches Editing and Design for online media, and is the faculty adviser for St. Michael's online student publication, the Echo.
In the mid-1980s, he worked as an assignment editor for CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
. In 1996, Mindich earned a doctorate in American Studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
where he worked under Mitchell Stephens
Mitchell Stephens
Mitchell Stephens is a professor of journalism and mass communications at New York University. He is also a respected journalist with several original published works.- Personal life :...
, Carl Prince, and Jay Rosen
Jay Rosen
Jay Rosen is a media critic, a writer, and a professor of journalism at New York University.Rosen has been on the journalism faculty at New York University since 1986; from 1999 to 2005 he served as chair of the Department.He has been one of the earliest advocates and supporters of citizen...
.
The author of two widely reviewed books, Just the Facts and Tuned Out, Mindich has also written articles that have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, the Wilson Quarterly
Wilson Quarterly
The Wilson Quarterly is a magazine published by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. The magazine was founded in 1976 by Peter Braestrup and James H. Billington. The Quarterly is noted for its nonpartisan, nonideological approach to current issues, with articles...
, the Baltimore Sun and academic journals. Mindich is particularly interested in the history, construction and present health of journalism. In 2006 Mindich wrote a resolution for the AEJMC)
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, or AEJMC, is a major international membership organization for academics in the field, offering regional and national conferences and refereed publications. It has numerous membership divisions, interest groups, publications and...
that censured the Bush administration for its "anti-press" policies. The resolution passed at the association's national convention in San Francisco with little opposition.
In Just the Facts, Mindich argued that journalist objectivity evolved in stages over a broad period, from the 1830s to the 1890s. Looking at five separate "elements" of objectivity—detachment, nonpartisanship, inverted pyramid writing, facticity, and balance—Mindich pinpointed specific historical moments when newswriting advanced toward its present form. One notable chapter is chapter three, which revealed that it was the government, and not journalists, who were using the inverted pyramid during the American Civil War. Another is chapter five, which is about the practice of lynching. Here Mindich argues that despite its claim of balance, the New York Times couldn't get the lynching story right because of the cultural (and racist) baggage its reporters and sources were bringing to the table.
In Tuned Out, Mindich argues that America is facing a grave threat to its democracy because the public has increasingly "tuned out" from politics and civic discouse. Mindich suggests a number of solutions to rectify the problem, including changing expectations for college-bound high school seniors.
Since the publication of Tuned Out, Mindich has given lectures at universities, high schools, media organizations and civics groups about media and democracy.
Mindich founded Jhistory, an Internet group for journalism historians, in 1994. He is currently an editor of the list.
Mindich lives in Burlington, Vt.
Works
- Just the Facts: How "Objectivity" Came to Define American Journalism (NYU Press, 1998) ISBN 0-8147-5614-X
- Tuned Out: Why Americans Under 40 Don't Follow the News (Oxford University Press, 2004) ISBN 0-19-516141-6
External links
- http://academics.smcvt.edu/dmindich/
- http://personalweb.smcvt.edu/dmindich/jhistory.htm